On the other side of the Rainbow
by Chiffer
Summary: While stopping the Colony Laser's beam, Banagher Links and the Unicorn Gundam are thrown into the world of Gundam Seed. With a new war in front of him and no clear way home, how will Banagher decide what to fight for in this unknown world?
1. Chapter 1: The Unicorn's journey

A/N: So, I'm doing this. First story, inspired by many amazing writers out there. Please tell me what you think.

Starts at the end of the Gundam Unicorn series.

Note: The Unicorn's remaining weaponry are the four beam sabers and the three shields.

Chapter 1: The Journey beyond the Rainbow

It was in a split second when his newly developed senses kicked in and warned Banagher of the incoming beam fired by the Colony Laser. The three shields of the Unicorn, controlled telepathically by Banagher, lined themselves up and produced a gigantic Psyco-field, followed by the Unicorn and the Banshee, which was piloted by Ensign Riddhe Marcenas. And just a moment after, the gigantic beam hit the first field, then the second and lastly the third.

Yet a small amount of the beam slipped past Riddhe's Psyco-field, almost hitting the colony builder they were trying to protect. The pressure threatened to tear his suit apart, the machine creaking and bending to struggle against the energy. The yellow visor of his helmet was smashed and Riddhe himself could feel the strength of the attack even inside the cockpit and was almost about to give in. But in a moment of calmness, Riddhe gathered his focus and reinforced the Psyco-field of the Banshee and changed its yellow glow to the same green as the light emitted by the Unicorn.

The crew of the Nahel Argama could only watch as the beam covered both Gundams as they stopped the beam from reaching the colony builder, the place where Laplace's Box was hidden.

And inside the Unicorn, Banagher was faced with a strange phenomenon.

"There are so many things I can see that all of you can't…", whispered the voice of a familiar woman to him. "Even time seems to glow here…"

Banagher could feel a warm light surround him, empowering his spirit to new heights.

"I can see your heart shine, able to turn even despair into strength…", continued the voice. "Humanity is currently standing at a threshold, preparing to do the next step. And one day, everyone will be able to see this place, on the other side of the rainbow…"

He could feel the energy around him grow stronger by the second, until the Colon Laser finished its attack. And with the fading light of the beam, not a single trace of the Unicorn, its shields and Banagher was left.

* * *

"Ughh…"

With a groan, Banagher slowly regained his consciousness. As he woke up, he recognized the cockpit of the Unicorn around him, the screens fading from walls of numbers and symbols to the black vastness of space.

"Where am- Audrey!"

His initial worry changed quickly to the girl that changed his life that day when he saved her life and entered the Unicorn for the first time. Checking the systems of his suit, Banagher turned to look for the others, only to find nothing.

"What-?"

He was just in the middle of space, Industrial 7- his home colony-, the Nahel Argama or any of his friends and comrades were nowhere to be found. And adding to that was the fact that this place wasn't found in the map-data of the Unicorn as well.

Unsure about what to do now, Banagher decided to move around and search the area more thoroughly for clues to his current whereabouts.

"What is going on here?"

As the scanners of the Unicorn searched the surrounding area, Banagher asked this question no one in particular. And while the 360°-Screen of his cockpit continued to show him the gathered information, again his thoughts drifted to his friends, and to Audrey.

"Audrey…"

Suddenly, the sensors picked up explosions just a short distance away. Quickly checking the data, Banagher only got more confused than before. Considering the situation before the Colony Laser was launched, no troops besides the Neo Zeon Remnants and the General Revil should be in the sector, but almost right next to him, two unknown parties were having a firefight in the middle of space. However, with no other useful information at hand, and a conflict with possible casualties right in front of him, Banagher came to the only plausible decision.

"Let's check it out."

And with some simple piloting, he moved the Unicorn towards the battle.

Even before Banagher arrived at the scene, the battle was already a mess. As for the current situation, two of four ships were destroyed, of the two remaining ships one being a simple war ship, and the other one white, somehow reminding Banagher of the Nahel Argama. And all that by a group of mobile suits, from which four seemed to be of different design, while one single mobile suit protected the remaining two ships, alongside something that looked like small fighters.

"What is going on here? I've never seen these types of suits", Banagher said to himself as he continued to accelerate.

With high speed he shot through the battlefield towards the simple looking war ship, which was about to be attacked by another wave of mobile suits.

"Even if it is a war ship, life should not be wasted like this! Unicorn!"

And with a green glow wiping over his screens and controls, Banagher partially activated the NT-D, sending his shields as funnels ahead to block the incoming missiles and beams.

* * *

Kira was struggling in his battle. After promising that he would protect the ship Flay's father would come with, two of the escort ships were already destroyed, and he could do nothing as Athrun, his childhood friend and now pilot of the Aegis, the mobile suit he was currently battling with in the Strike, his own mobile suit.

"Kira, stop this! You have no reason to be fighting us!", came the shouts of Athrun over the private channel connecting the two suits.

"Athrun…!"

Kira had no reply to give as he returned fire with his beam rifle, which was dangerously low on energy already. And in the corner of his eyes, he saw a new wave of ZAFT mobile suits approach the remaining ship.

He would have despaired in this impossible-to-save-situation, if it weren't for the sudden alarm of an incoming contact. Both he and Athrun turned to the unknown object, and where surprised to see a completely white mobile suit approach. It seemed to look like a very simple design, however it had something shaped like a single horn on its head. It also seemed to have two, no three, shields, but no other obvious weaponry whatsoever.

'A new enemy!?', was Kira's first thought, but that was forgotten in an instant, as the unknown suit suddenly shined in a green light. He wasn't able to clearly make out everything, but he saw three white objects, glowing with the same green light, flying towards the last escort ship- and block all of the enemy's attacks.

"What is that suit?!", someone shouted over one of the channels, but Kira didn't know who. He just looked at the white suit as it floated in the middle of the battlefield, still emitting a slight green glow.

* * *

"That was close, now to stop the rest of them."

Banagher opened the open channel, but he didn't need to say anything as suddenly the whole situation turned into a hostage taking.

Seeing this scene play out before him reminded Banagher again about Audrey, and her circumstances back then. Being a member of the Zabi family, she had to face all the hate towards her family and fellow Zeons. Yet Audrey stood strong even in the face of being used as a bargaining chip against Full Frontal and the Neo Zeon Remnants.

And just as he felt back then, Banagher still didn't agree with involving children in the mindless games of adults.

"Still, making a move now will only cause further unnecessary fighting. Maybe this time the situation can be solved by talking."

Even though it was a very small hope, the young pilot of the Unicorn still wished for it to come true. And so he recalled his shields and moved slowly towards the white ship.

"Unknown mobile suit, this is the Archangel of the Earth Alliance, cease your approach and state your identification and intentions!", came the sudden order as the white ship hailed him. Banagher hesitated a moment to think about his response.

"This is the RX-0 Unicorn. I request to board your ship to confirm the current situation", he said, deciding to sound as professional as possible. If he would try to get on board, he would need to get their trust to not shoot him down. Literally and figuratively.

The answer only came after a few minutes and Banagher used the silence to take a better look at the other remaining Mobile Suit. It reminded Banagher of the Unicorn in its Destroy-Mode, when it became a Gundam. The other suit however had its main body colored blue and grayish-white. It also had a red and black booster-like backpack and carried a red and white shield and a beam rifle.

Banagher did nothing as the Strike grabbed onto the Unicorn and pulled it towards the ship. He floated inside the hanger and slowly walked towards one of the docking stations, as did the Strike opposite to him on the other side of the hangar. And as Banagher powered down the Unicorn, he observed the happenings around him carefully. He just watched as a group of armed soldiers rushed into the hangar towards the Unicorn. It was not hard to understand why they would be pointing guns at his cockpit, but that didn't mean it made Banagher feel more welcome. With the armed soldiers were two more people, one an officer from the look of the uniform, the other one wearing a pilot suit. The officer was a young woman with shoulder long brown hair, the other a tall, blond man.

"Is that the pilot of that Gundam?", Banagher asked himself. "But when did he leave the cockpit?"

It was then that Banagher noticed another machine in the hangar, something similar to a fighter, colored orange and with four barrel-like attachments and a single huge cannon at the front. And then he noticed the hatch of the other suit open, and a person in a blue and white piolt suit exit the machine.

"I guess I should try to talk with them."

* * *

The troops tensed slightly when the doors of the cockpit opened. Waiting for the pilot to come out, they saw the pilot in a white suit with red linings, a red-tinged visor and the picture of a unicorn's head on the chest. And they were shocked when the pilot took his helmet of to reveal a young man with brown hair and eyes, who seemed about as old as Kira.

The boy looked at each of the soldiers once before frowning and slowly lifting his hands up. He never stopped throwing disapproving looks at the people on the other end of the guns. Murrue almost flinched at the strong, judging glare, but she kept a tough front, even if she didn't like to have guns pointed at a child.

"We would like to ask you some questions, if it is okay with you", the woman with brown hair asked.

"How much of a choice do I have?", Banagher replied with sarcasm.

Again, a slight feeling of guilt passed through Murrue, but she suppressed it. While the boy in front of her didn't seem to be much of a threat, she still couldn't allow herself to let down her guard. She was aware of what Coordinators were capable, even those that were still children.

"Please, follow me."

Murrue turned around and left, Mu la Flaga following directly after her. The soldiers parted, opening a path for Banagher. He waited for a moment, slightly worrying the soldiers, when suddenly the hatch of the Unicorn closed on its own. Banagher had set it to close and lock down if he didn't reenter the cockpit after a certain amount of time, just as a precaution. Considering that the soldiers didn't leave him out of their sights, it was better than closing the hatch manually. The soldiers kept their tension as Banagher started walking past them to follow Murrue and Mu. On the way, two guards walked in front of Banagher, four behind him. It was impossible to make a break for it, not that he followed that thought. He knew that something like this would happen, and he still decided to go through with it. Even if it means to get into danger. Yet even danger seemed to be something natural for Banagher.

After Walking through several corridors and past several people, including some civilians, judging by their clothing, the group reached the Captain's office. Murrue and Mu entered, followed by Banagher and one of the soldiers, who stood by the door.

Banagher watched as Murrue took a seat at the big desk in the room and Mu stood next to her, his pose relaxed, het his hand placed on his hip, right next to his sidearm. Banagher, whose expression turned somewhat sour and disappointed at the situation, looked between the two officers, standing in the middle of the room.

Murrue observed him for a moment before addressing him.

"Please, take a seat."

She motioned to the free chair opposite of her with her hand and Banagher took a glance at the seat offered to him.

"Why did you take her hostage?"

Both members of the Archangel were slightly surprised at his first words. They exchanged glances before Murrue answered.

"Since the situation turned unfavorably for us, I decided to use what was available to me."

"And you think that justifies using a child as a shield!? Do you have no respect for others!?"

Again, the outburst surprised both Murrue and Mu, but they noticed that this conversation wouldn't turn out well, so Mu went ahead with steering the conversation away for a moment.

"Well, I can understand your point, but it can't be helped. However, before we start shouting at each other, why not introduce ourselves. I'm Mu la Flaga."

"… Banagher Links."

"And I'm Murrue Ramius, acting Captain of this ship. Now, we would first like you to answer a few of our questions. In turn, we would answer some questions as well. Then we can discuss the current situation at hand."

Banagher considered this offer for a moment before nodding.

"Okay, then ask", he said as he sat down on the chair.

* * *

Rau le Creuset was in a tight spot. Not only did a great chance of destroying the legged ship with the Strike and a part of the 8th Lunar Fleet slip through his fingers, the daughter of a member of the council was taken hostage and used against them. He didn't really care for the girl, but for his public image and in front of Athrun Zala, the fiancée of the girl and one of his best pilots.

As the blond haired man with a gray mask sat in his chair of his private room, Creuset went over the recordings of the battle once more. The biggest reason though why he wasn't able to destroy the last escort ship of the 8th Fleet was this mysterious white Mobile Suit that jumped into the fray and protected the escort ship. The simple fact that the volley of missiles and beams, which were used with the intention to take down a fortress was stopped by using shields alone was reason enough to warrant his attention.

"Now, what to do about this mess", mused the masked man while looking at a picture of the unknown suit. He wasn't left alone to his thoughts for long though, as a knock on his door pulled Creuset away from his plans.

"Come in."

The door opened, and a young man with dark blue hair and eyes wearing a red ZAFT uniform entered with a salute.

"Athrun Zala reporting. You wanted to talk to me, Sir?"

"Indeed. But how are you feeling?"

Athrun was slightly surprised by his superior's inquiry, but replied nonetheless.

"I'm fine Sir, but…"

"You are concerned about Lacus Clyne."

Again, Athrun showed was momentarily surprised, but when he remembered who was in front of him, he regained his composure.

"Yes, I can't believe they would actually retort to something like this."

"It's true, no one could anticipate that Miss Clyne would be on that ship. An unfortunate development indeed."

Creuset turned back to the screen which still showed the, to him still unknown, Unicorn Gundam and how it manipulated the shields.

"And that isn't the only unfortunate thing that happened today", Creuset continued while nodding to the footage on the screen. "We have no reports on this unit, and it has capabilities unknown to us. It might even be a greater threat than the Strike. And that is the other reason I called you."

Creuset leaned back in his seat while looking at Athrun through his mask.

"You were there on the battlefield and saw it from close up. What is your opinion on it?"

"I'm sorry, Sir, but I only caught a glimpse of it as it was moving too fast to follow it. And as it didn't do anything else besides somehow controlling these shields, I can't say anything for sure, but it seemed capable of much more", Athrun replied, still feeling slightly uneasy about the suit.

"I see. Anyways, you should go rest for now", Creuset said. And before Athrun exited the room he added: "And don't worry, we will save Ms. Clyne."

"Yes, Sir!"

And with a salute Athrun left for his quarters.

Creuset sighed before looking back at the screenshot of the Unicorn again. There were not a single shred of information regarding this unit in the reports he had obtained from the Alliance, so he was sure that this wasn't built by 'Morgenröte'. But if that was the case, who did build it?

"I wonder how I can make use of this…", Creuset thought out loud with a sinister smile on his face.

* * *

"And where are you from, exactly?"

"…"

Banagher didn't really want to reveal too much about himself or the Unicorn, so he gave simple answers to how he simply intervened the previous battle to stop any more senseless fighting and casualties. He also told them how the Unicorn is a new model, and the two officers misunderstood it as something that was built by a group called 'Morgenröte', probably a manufacturer for machinery like 'Anaheim' back at his home colony.

And that was the second part of his worries. As he listened to the stories of how the Archangel left Heliopolis, Banagher noticed several things that were just too different to be just slight mistakes. Organizations, history, geographical places and many other things didn't match with what he remembered from his history classes. He could imagine that he was somewhere not his home, and that the Unicorn was responsible for his unintended journey to who-knows-where.

Still, Banagher couldn't just outright tell them he is from a different universe. The only thing that would happen would be weird looks and a one-way ticket to an asylum. Yet he couldn't think of a believable lie either. But time was running and he had to say _something_.

"I'm not sure myself, to be honest. I have an idea, but it is rather farfetched and is hard to explain."

"Well, I heard my fair share of weird stories, so shoot. I'm sure we can figure out something from there", Mu replied with a shrug.

"I believe I'm in a different universe."

"…" "…"

Their reaction was what Banagher expected, including the blank expressions they were giving him. Yet when he thought about it, it wasn't impossible. After all, when the Unicorn and Full Frontal's Mobile Armor resonated, he experienced something like traveling through time and space. It was one of the many unknown abilities of the Psycoframe, or at least Banagher thought that since he had run out of ideas.

"That's really farfetched, y'know?"

"I'm aware of that. Yet there are too many differences between what I know and what you know about… almost everything."

He continued to explain the differences he noticed and told them about his world, his history, about Newtypes and the theory explaining their appearance. Banagher also told them roughly about the abilities of the Unicorn, and its intended purpose: find a worthy inheritor to Laplace's box.

As Banagher continued to tell his story, the two Alliance officers started to believe his story less and less, yet they could tell he didn't make it up. However, no side had any proof for any of their statements, and so the came to a point where everyone in the office was confused. Somewhere during the talk, Murrue ordered to soldier at the door to leave, so that no one else would learn about this.

"But what are you going to do now?", came the question from Mu.

"Of course, I'm going to look for a way home", Banagher replied almost instantly. "What I want the most is to see my friends again, and that's it."

Banagher was tired of losing anyone else. He didn't save Loni from her cursed past, and he was unable to save Marida from being killed. He had enough of all this sadness. But even so…

"But I think I will stay with you for now", Banagher added.

"And why is that?", Murrue asked. "You have no reason to come with us."

"I saw the civilians on board. They all are affected by this war and have to suffer from it, even if they have nothing to do with it. It's just not right."

"But this is reality. We can only do so much to fight this war, and with the way things are standing, the war isn't going to end anytime soon", Mu said.

"But even so, I believe that I didn't land in this world for no reason. If the Unicorn wanted me to come here, then there must be something only I can do."

Murrue looked at Banagher with a strict glare, but she could tell he was resolved. Something gave him the strength to keep fighting, no matter the odds.

"Very well, I'll let you stay on the ship", she said with a slight sigh. "We will need to come up with a cover story for you, since you shouldn't tell anyone about where you came from. Otherwise some people would think you were crazy."

"I'm aware of that."

"Okay, but do you have any clue as to what you need to do?"

"My biggest bet would be the Unicorn. If it brought me here, then it should also be able to give me clues as to where I need to go."

"Alright, we will leave that to you. Now we should think of a story for you."

* * *

After another hour of talking, including a verbal assault by Banagher about how they should be ashamed for taking a child hostage, no matter who they were, Murrue leaned back in her chair and sighed heavily. Banagher had left just a moment ago to take a look at the Unicorn. Murrue had also called the mechanics crew to give them a heads up about Banagher. Should he need help, they should provide him any help they could spare.

"I can't believe this is happening", she said, sighing again.

"To be honest, I can't imagine the kid lying to us. His story is too crazy for that", Mu said, trying to console her. "And even if he is lying, everything is fine as long as he doesn't attack the ship."

"I guess."

"But then again, he isn't the only guest with some issues", Mu obliviously continued.

And there was the second problem that gave Murrue a headache. The minister George Allster, who was on the remaining escort ship that was saved by Banagher, came all the way here just to see his daughter. The first thing he did was jump on a shuttle, fly over to the Archangel, and demand the whereabouts of his daughter Flay. For now, he was silent, but who knows for how long and Murrue knew he would be a handful, possibly even a liability during any combat situation they may come upon.

"Why can't things be easy for once?"


	2. Chapter 2: Meetings on the other side

A/N: Well, I'm amazed at how many people like my idea! To all who reviewed, I appreciate the advice and thoughts. Thanks!

Here's the next chapter, mostly talking, but a bit of action at the end as well. Id like to hear your opinion on how I wrote that part. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 2:

"Why can't things be easy for once?", Banagher asked no one in particular as he floated through the hangar to his mobile suit. It had been one thing after another ever since he got involved with Laplace's box. And Banagher's current predicament didn't even have any connection to the box in the first place.

He noticed that some of the mechanics looked at the machine with great interest, and he couldn't blame them. The Unicorn in its design alone was definitely not something they had seen anywhere before, beginning with the horn that was positioned on the head, followed by the movable segments that covered the Psycoframe of the Gundam, as well as the beam sabers hidden on the backpack and the beam tonfas placed on the fore arms. The three shields were also mounted to the suit, one on the back and the other two on the arms. It may have looked weird to others, but this was all that was left from the Full Armor Unicorn, designed by his best friend Takuya.

"Everyone…"

Again his thoughts started to drift away, but he shook his head to force them away. He would see them again soon enough. And to do that, he needed to check the Unicorn for more information. So, Banagher moved to the hatch of the mobile suit and opened the lock he placed. The hatch opened with a little sound and revealed the cockpit of the Unicorn. He jumped inside and placed himself in the pilot seat.

As the hatch closed, he used one of the input boards to go through the Unicorn's system. Banagher looked for records, data, information, anything that would help him out in deciphering the mystery as to what could have caused this journey to a different world. The familiar walls of numbers and letters flowed over the screens of the 360°-cockpit and Banagher tried to make any sense of it.

"Just what is going on here, Unicorn…!"

However, he received no answer while the numbers continued to run over the screens. With a sigh, Banagher leaned back into the pilot seat to gather his thoughts. Since the Unicorn didn't reveal anything to him, maybe he needed to do something like the times when he unlocked the several seals on Laplace's box.

"Do I have to activate the NT-D? Maybe I have to use it in specific locations, just like before?"

And again he received no answer to his question.

* * *

Kira was strolling aimlessly through the ship as he thought about what Athrun had told him. His best friend's words still stung him where it hurts the most.

" _Is this the justice you are fighting for!?"_

" _Athrun…!"_

" _I'm going to save her, no matter what!"_

He knew it wasn't right to use Lacus Clyne as a hostage. He didn't save her from drifting through the debris just so she could be used as a bargaining chip. It just wasn't right, but he could do nothing about it.

And the worst part, he almost didn't keep his promise to Flay, the girl he liked. Kira remembered the times he saw her smiling and laughing with her friends, having fun like any normal teenager. And Kira loved her smile. When he witnessed the reunion of father and daughter, everyone around them was just as happy and relieved as the family themselves. They were laughing and crying in happiness. Yet at the same time, Kira didn't feel like he belonged there. Like he wasn't supposed to be there.

Even worse, they would probably scorn him for making a promise he couldn't keep, if not for the unknown white mobile suit. That group of happy people, that place where he wasn't allowed to be, was the place the pilot of that suit belonged to.

Kira understood that he was weak, just as Lieutenant la Flaga said when he asked why they would use Lacus as hostage. But it's not like he could change that. He didn't want to fight. Not against his best friend, not against anyone. All he wanted was a life in peace.

And just as he found himself lost with his thoughts, he floated aimless through the ship.

* * *

Banagher was slightly confused as for why so many civilians were celebrating in the canteen. He just came here to have a quick bite to eat before continuing his work on the Unicorn's system. He also changed into one of the spare uniforms of the mechanics, since he didn't want to stay in his pilot suit all the time. So he moved past the group and took a tray with food and sat down at one of the tables.

It didn't take long for him to be interrupted.

"Who are you?"

"Huh?"

Banagher didn't register the question for a moment before turning to the source of the voice. Behind him stood a girl his age with light brown hair, bright blue eyes and a pink colored uniform with a skirt. She looked at him questioningly, prompting Banagher to back away in surprise.

"I've never seen you on the ship before", the girl said.

"Uhm…"

"Hey Milly, what are you doing?", asked another teenager with dark brown hair. He was wearing a uniform as well, only in blue and with pants.

"Tolle, do you remember seeing this guy before?"

"Now that you mention it, no I didn't", said the male teen as he approached. Following behind the boy named Tolle was another one, dressed in the same uniform, with dark hair.

"I also didn't meet you until today, is that so strange?", Banagher said, trying to hide that he was actually the pilot of the Unicorn. He, the Captain and the Lieutenant agreed that as few people as necessary should know about him. And so he decided to pose as one of the mechanics working on the ship.

"I guess so. My name is Miriallia Haw. But you can call me Milly", said the girl with a playful wink.

"I'm Tolle Koenig, and this guy here is Kuzzey Buskirk", introduced the brown haired one himself and his friend.

"My name is Banagher Links. But aren't you a bit young to be soldiers?"

"We could ask you the same. We are here because we wanted to help our friend, but we needed to enroll to do that."

"I see."

Banagher remembered the history lessons where children were made to fight, the higher-ups never caring for them and using them as they saw fit. The One Year War was the worst example he could think of, but thinking negatively wouldn't bring him anywhere.

"For me, there were some… circumstances that brought me here, and now I'm not really sure what to do", Banagher replied after some time.

The air got slightly depressing when they saw Banagher's lonely expression, something the teens had seen on each other's faces often lately. The destruction of Heliopolis and the constant battles weighted heavily on everyone, since they were just pushed into this situation by circumstances they had no influence over. None of them chose to go on this ship of their own will, but by a decision forcibly made for them.

The war had affected many people, innocent civilians the most. However, up until now these things only happened far away, on the other side of a screen. It almost seemed unreal. But now, reality hit them hard, and as a result they lost their home and had to become (temporary) soldiers to lessen the burden on their friend Kira who was risking his life day by day.

"I… I'm sorry I asked", Miriallia apologized. Banagher looked at her in light surprise before realizing what she meant.

"It's okay. You didn't do anything wrong", he said, trying to lift the mood a bit. "In the end, I chose this way, and now I have to see it through."

The three looked at Banagher with some sort of realization, and nodded in agreement.

"Okay, if you say so", Tolle said with a smile. "We should go back though. Want to join us, Banagher?"

"No, but thanks. I got to go back to work after my meal."

"Alright, see you around."

* * *

At the same time, Murrue, Mu and Natarle Badgiruel were meeting with Foreign Minister George Allster to discuss further plans. Murrue had planned to avoid a longer discussion with the man, as the business suit wearing politician was quite intent on keeping his daughter save. She never liked dealing with his type, but with her new position, such moments would become more common for her.

They went over a list of matters that needed to be cleared up, and the talk dragged itself out for a long time, since the minister continued to keep asking for special privileges that were supposed to 'make the journey more comfortable for his daughter'. Murrue had never felt so exhausted afterwards.

"Now, since we finished most of the important points, I would like to give you my thanks for protecting my daughter", the minister said.

"I understand", Murrue replied short to the fourth thanks that conversation. She suppressed a sigh and just hoped that this would be over soon.

"And if possible, I would like to meet the pilot who saved my ship."

Mu looked at Murrue from the corner of his eye, waiting for her reply. The two officers had talked long about how they should act with Banagher aboard the ship and came to the conclusion that they should keep his identity mostly low, at least until they were able to rendezvous with the 8th fleet. And that included avoiding meetings with noisy politicians.

"I'm afraid that he is currently resting, and the details to his actions are classified", Murrue said with a professional no-nonsense tone. The minister kept a good poker face though wand wasn't the least impressed.

"I'm sure a short conversation would be possible."

"Not at the moment. Maybe there will be a chance when we meet with Admiral Halberton."

Obviously, the man wasn't pleased with this answer, but he had no other ways to get the permission. But this was necessary for him. He would find a way, since he wanted to know more about the pilot. And especially the mobile suit.

* * *

"Where am I?"

Banagher didn't think it was possible, considering he went to the hangar several times by now, but he was actually lost. He even tried to find out the fastest way to it, so he could get to the Unicorn as fast as possible when necessary. But when he left the canteen, he must've been in such a hurry, he took a wrong corridor, and now he was floating to who-knows-where.

He found himself floating down a corridor, which was slightly more difficult than before, since the ship didn't have automated hand rails for moving through zero gravity. The corridor was devoid of light, only a dark glow at the end told him that he wasn't heading straight into a wall. So he continued, until he found something similar to an Observatory, an empty room with huge windows to look at the outside of the ship.

Beyond the glass was an ocean of stars, a sight he was used to ever since he was born. Banagher felt home in the vastness of space, ever since he was born. He continued to watch the stars, until he noticed that the room wasn't as empty. However, the other person didn't seem to have noticed him.

"Are you okay?", Banagher asked, seeing the uncomfortable look on the face of the brown haired teen in front of him.

The teen turned around, slightly startled at the appearance of another person. He relaxed when their eyes met, and sighed.

"I'm just… a bit confused."

"And so you came here to think about it?"

"Actually, I wanted to be alone, but…"

A slightly awkward silence spread between the two and for a while they both just waited for the other to say something.

"I guess I didn't introduce myself. I'm Kira Yamato", the teen said.

"Banagher Links."

"Well, I guess I should say thank you for keeping the ship running."

"Huh?"

"I mean, you, Mr. Murdoch and the others are working hard all the time. I should at least do this much."

Banagher checked his clothes and remembered that he was wearing one of the orange and white worker uniforms that all the mechanics had. He wasn't part of the crew, but with these clothes, it seemed like he could blend in well with the other members. At least until he had to pilot the Unicorn again. It's not like he could blow a hole in the hull of the ship when he needed to go outside.

"Don't worry about it. Everyone is doing their job, so it's not like they expect thanks. But thanks anyway."

Banagher let his word linger for a moment before he continued the conversation.

"And what about you? You had something to think about, right?"

"Yeah…"

Banagher waited for Kira to continue who seemed to struggle with his choice of words.

"It's just, ever since I got involved in this war, I feel like everyone's expecting so much from me. I keep fighting battle after battle, and it's lie everything is going to come crashing down on me. Even in the last battle, I wouldn't have been able to keep a promise to a friend of mine, if that white mobile suit wouldn't have appeared."

Banagher tensed slightly at Kira's mentioning of the Unicorn, but it seemed like Kira hadn't noticed since he continued to talk.

"I… I just don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore!"

"I think I understand that feeling."

Kira threw a look of disbelief at Banagher, who in turn had an understanding smile on his face.

"What do you mean?"

"I also got involved in something I wasn't and didn't want to be a part of and was forced to fight against people. They kept telling me to fight the enemy, but who is that supposed to be? How should I fight without knowing who my allies and who my enemies were?"

"But you kept fighting?"

"Because I had a reason to fight. People I wanted to protect. And I think that if you believe in something, you should stand up for it. Even if others tell you that it is some sort of delusion or wishful thinking, you have to keep going. It may sound contradicting, and maybe it is. But even so, you mustn't give up."

"And what then? There is no meaning if all I do is make things worse!"

"How can you know that without trying? Everyone makes mistakes, that's why were human! We have hearts that can feel, and we can act on these emotions. Somethings these decisions are wrong, but the wish to protect something can give you more strength than you'd think."

Kira seemed to think about Banagher's words, so he remained quiet for some time. Banagher decided to leave it at that, since he could tell that Kira was too conflicted at the moment to come to coherent answer. Banagher knew that feeling, since he was in a similar position before as well. The incident with Laplace's box and the Unicorn changed his life and the lives of his friends. He turned around and floated to the hallway, leaving Kira behind at the window.

* * *

It was hard to deal with circumstances that give you more problems than one could handle. Kira learned this the hard way, and even if the talk with Banagher made it easier for him, he was still conflicted about fighting his best friend. Even if they didn't see each other in years, he couldn't understand how things turned out like this. He kept pushing these thoughts away, until he couldn't hold it anymore and let everything out. He screamed.

"What's the matter?"

"Huh?"

Kira turned around, seeing a sudden wall of pink, even in this dark room. Then he noticed that it was Lacus, looking at him with a smile. But when she noticed his tears, she tried to wipe them off, but Kira backed away in surprise.

"What are you doing here?", he asked while the pink robot continued to bounce around them.

"I was taking a walk, when I suddenly heard a loud sound."

"But you can't. You'd be accused of spying."

Kira didn't want her to get into more trouble, and he also didn't want to have her see him like this, so he tried to end this conversation, but Lacus wouldn't be that easy to convince. She told him about her robot pet, and the conversation moved towards Athrun.

"Athrun didn't change at all. He built my Birdy as well", Kira told her, remembering better times, but also their recent meetings.

"You seem sad."

"Well, even though we're friends, we keep fighting every time. You see, he is the pilot of the Aegis, and I don't want to fight him."

Kira started to rant again, just when he talked with Banagher. He just wasn't able to wrap his head around any of this, and the frustration continued to build up.

But just then, Lacus grabbed his face, shaking him out of his thoughts.

"You and Athrun are both very kind people, and this is very sad. I would be great if you didn't have to fight at all."

"I was told that I can fight if I want to protect or believe in something. But still…"

"You don't want to hurt your friend… nor your enemies, is that it?"

Kira looked at her with wide eyes, suddenly realizing something. He thought back on what Banagher had told him, and something just made sense in that moment. Kira wasn't aware of what, but that what Lacus just said… could that be possible?

"It seems impossible, right?", Lacus said, a sad smile on her face. "You don't need to push yourself into fighting like that."

"But even so…"

"What?"

Lacus didn't hear what Kira was whispering, but he repeated himself.

"But even so, I want to protect my friends…"

Lacus noticed the tiny bit of resolve in Kira's eyes, a strong wish he wanted to fulfill no matter what. She smiled happier again.

"I believe that you will find a solution", Lacus said. "Don't lose sight of yourself, and you are sure to find the answer you're looking for."

* * *

Later that night, Banagher was on his way back to his quarters when he saw Miriallia and a blond haired teen with yellow-tinted glasses standing next to the door to the locker room. They seemed nervous for some reason and kept looking around, as if they were watching out for something. Or someone. Since hiding wouldn't really help here, Banagher decided to confront them right away. He wasn't sure what they were up to, but Banagher had a bad feeling about it.

"What are you doing here?", Banagher called out. It was in the middle of the night, even if that was hard to know in space, so the two didn't actually expect that anyone would come past them, much less call out to them.

"W-well, we're, uhm-!", the blond teen started to stutter, but Miriallia recovered faster than her friend.

"Banagher! Well, you see…"

But before she could start explaining, the door of the locker room opened and Kira in a pilot suit floated out with a girl in a normal space suit. And unfortunately, he didn't notice the warnings of his friends in time.

"We're ready and…", Kira started before slowly turning to Banagher.

A slightly awkward atmosphere was spreading as Banagher looked at the pink haired girl with… a huge… belly… and the others were tense as they didn't know how Banagher would act.

"Please, you have to let me take her back!", Kira suddenly begged as he looked almost desperate to convince Banagher. "I just can't agree to keep her as a hostage. And once we get away from ZAFT, there won't be a chance for her to go back without harm!"

Banagher's eyes slightly widened as he heard the pilot's words. He had witnessed the hostage-situation, but never saw the person that was held as hostage. She was a beautiful girl, but Banagher couldn't really see how she looked as she was wearing a space suit. Though he could tell that she had some sort of air to her, which reminded him of Audrey, yet somewhat different. It was hard for him to really explain it.

"Alright. I'll help out too", Banagher said, since he already told Murrue how he saw the hostage situation. He was aware that he would get in trouble after this, and his cover would probably blow, but that wasn't as bad as it could be. Even if lying wasn't something he liked to do, he had thought of some things to say to answer the most likely questions.

And while Banagher was considering the possible problems following his decision, the teens stared at him with wide eyes.

"You can't! You don't need to get in trouble just for this!", Kira said, grateful for Banagher to not rat them out to the Captain, but he also didn't want to involve him any further in his selfish plan.

"It's okay. I'm used to not follow orders to the point. And besides, I can't agree to taking a child hostage as well. No matter who they are related to."

When no immediate reply came, he moved towards the door of the locker room.

"You guys go ahead to the hangar. Just keep moving, and I will make sure to keep things from getting out of hand."

Kira nodded, believing that Banagher would know what he does, and floated towards the hangar with the others. When they turned the corner, he went inside to change into his own pilot suit.

* * *

Banagher jumped inside the cockpit, quickly sitting down in the seat, closing the hatch and beginning the start-up sequence. He went over a few of the controls before the familiar sight of the hangar appeared on his screens. An alarm started to ring out when the Strike moved towards the hangar exit. As soon as the other mobile suit was on the launching catapult, he moved the Unicorn to place two of his shields at a nearby wall, securing them tightly. Then he followed onto the launching pad as well. As he slowly went towards the exit, the face of a very unpleased Murrue Ramius appeared on the screen.

"What do you think you're doing!?"

"Kira is doing the right thing. I'm just going to make sure it stays at a simple handover", Banagher replied, a bit surprised at the Captain's sudden outburst, even if he had expected it.

"And you believe that this would solve the situation in the best way?"

"Yes."

Banagher didn't try to explain himself to her and just showed his confidence in the choice Kira made. Murrue herself couldn't stop him now, since the Strike had already left. And the highest priority for her was the safety of the suit and Kira.

With a sigh she nodded while someone off-screen seemed to protest vehemently against this decision. But Murrue ignored the shouts for the moment and focused on Banagher.

"Don't do anything stupid."

"I won't."

And after another moment the screen went blank. Banagher drifted to the entrance and turned towards the backside of the ship. He zoomed in on the Strike as it flew towards the Vesalius. Kira stopped his suit in the middle between both ships and waited. Shortly after, a suit left the ZAFT-ship, the red mobile suit Banagher saw fighting against Kira's Strike. They got closer, and after a short exchange the cockpits opened, revealing the respective passengers.

Everything seemed to go well, but Banagher could feel that something was wrong. But all he could do at the moment was to wait and watch. In the worst case, he was confident to get to Kira fast enough.

And just as the Strike was floating away from the red mobile suit, Banagher sensed an evil intent so clearly, he almost froze from the intensity. But he had felt this before once, and in the same moment he accelerated, turning the Unicorn into a white flash shooting through space towards the oncoming enemy.

All the people watching were shocked when the Unicorn speeded past the Strike in a matter of moments, extending one of its Beam Tonfas and crashing into Creuset's CGUE. Creuset though barely managed to ready his sword to deflect the attack, but at the cost of losing said sword in a glowing, molten stump.

"Damn!"

He tried to increase his distance as the Unicorn charged at him again. As if sensing how the white suit would attack, he barely dodged at the last second, costing him the lower half of one of his arms. And just as the white suit prepared for a third attack, it stopped its charge when a young girl's voice came through an open channel.

"Commander Rau Le Creuset, pull back at once!", came her hasty order, even if she had no actual right to give the masked man any orders. "Do you plan to turn this area, where a representative of the memorial delegation is present, into a war zone?"

Creuset scoffed silently at the rhetorical question, considering the potential problems for him, should he refuse. He looked towards the white suit, which was still floating just a few paces away from him, still with the beam weapon on its fore arm at the ready.

"Very well, Ms. Clyne."

Banagher looked on as the enemy suit moved away to its ship. With the last attack, he had actually aimed to remove the whole arm, yet that pilot was able to dodge and reduce the damage. As he was still thinking, he was suddenly addressed by Lacus.

"And thank you for stopping at my request as well, Mr. Unicorn."

Banagher tensed, wondering where she heard the name of the Unicorn.

"Oh, was that wrong? With the white and that horn, I couldn't help but think of one."

Banagher didn't reply, but deactivated his beam weapon and folded it back into the fore arm. He then turned away and returned to the Archangel.

Kira watched as the Aegis left before turning to follow the Unicorn back. Mu, who managed to patch through to Kira, offered his own thoughts.

"That was one kind of a princess. Now get back here, before the people here rip your head off."

He however got no reply to his joke from the young Coordinator, until he noticed the tears in Kira's eyes.

"What's wrong?"

Kira once again remembered himself of how he felt about his friends, about Banagher's words, and the encouragement from Lacus. But none of that could help him in this moment where he was just sad about the parting with his best friend. And yet still, he couldn't voice his troubles to the Lieutenant.

"No, it's nothing."

And with this excuse, he tried to ignore the pain he felt in his heart.


	3. Chapter 3: The Beast of Possibility (1)

So, it has been a while. Exams, personal stuff and my old laptop breaking down didn't really help my writer's block. I'm starting to understand how hard it actually is to keep writing a story like this. I'll give my best to keep posting these chapters, even if it takes me weeks to complete. Its not like I'm on a schedule or something. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter. And thaks for the reviews and anyone who likes the story.

* * *

Chapter 3: The Beast of Possibility Part 1

"Is this the footage sent by Creuset, Chairman Zala?"

"Don't call me something that isn't decided yet. And yes, it is."

Patrick Zala, member of the Supreme Council of the PLANTs - the colonies in space functioning as a refuge for all Coordinators against the cruel and brutal assaults from the Naturals living on the Earth – was sitting in his office and currently watching the footage sent to him by Creuset. And he didn't like what he saw at all.

"Damn Naturals, to come up with something like this."

"I understand your feelings, Sir."

With Zala was a ZAFT officer in a white coat. His reddish brown hair was cut in a long buzz cut, revealing his young appearance in his early twenties with no visible scars on his face. And his dark brown eyes watched Zala as said man was again beginning to burst with rage.

"This whole mess is becoming more and more dragged out. I'll make sure that we defeat these Naturals with the very technology they planned to use against us!"

Zala looked at the young soldier who was still patiently waiting for him.

"Creuset is currently bringing Lacus Clyne to an escort ship. I had a transporter ship made ready. Use it and regroup with him, Jareed Ramsey!"

"Me, Sir?"

"You'll be going as reinforcements, taking one of the early prototypes we build from the few bits of data we already have. That should make things easy enough for you", Zala said with a dismissive tone.

"I'm honored that you have this much trust in me, Sir", Ramsey said with a formal bow.

"I don't trust you, I trust your capabilities and your combat records. So go and prepare for your transfer. And don't forget, we are talking about a prototype here. Don't you dare let any information fall into enemy hands!"

"Yes Sir!"

And with a salute Ramsey turned around and left the office. He went straight for a single elevator, made sure no one else was inside, and went down. As soon as the door closed he sighed.

"Damn, that Zala. He really gives me a bad vibe", Ramsey said to himself. "It's like dealing with a child who doesn't get the toy it wants. Or rather, a child that is jealous of the other children's toys."

Ramsey was by no means a perfect soldier. As Zala said, his records in battle were of the charts, surpassing many other skilled soldiers, and about the same skill as Creuset. He didn't care for any of that though. All wanted was to fight and kill as many enemies as possible. That was his drive to get stronger, no matter the cost. And it got him the position of a high ranking officer. However, because of his conduct with some teammates, he had yet to lead his own team. The only reason he got promoted was Zala.

Zala had seen something in Ramsey. Something useful. And unlike with Creuset, Ramsey was easier to read and control. Or so Zala thought.

"I don't give a damn about what Zala wants, but that footage was definitely promising."

A sinister grin spread on his face, and he could feel the adrenaline starting to pump through him. The unnerving feeling of not being able to fight a strong opponent. However, he wasn't simply out for blood. He was preparing. Preparing to hunt for a new enjoyment.

* * *

"I hope you understand why you're here?", Murrue asked.

"I do. And I also know that this won't help with anything", Banagher replied, seated on the bench inside the brig. "You know he did the right thing, and I don't regret helping them either."

"I know. But one of my officers is not pleased with being left out of the loop, and know I have to make amends to avoid having her go nuts with the protocols."

Banagher didn't say anything as Murrue sighed. She was visibly tired, and definitely in need of rest. But what with the return of Lacus Clyne to the Creuset-Team, their pursuers where hot on their heels yet again. And it didn't help that a strict officer and selfish politician continued to make complains and demands.

"She isn't a bad person, but…"

Murrue looked at Banagher for a moment, as if expecting a reply, but before he could say anything, she went to the door.

"You'll be here for a while. I'll try to get you out by tomorrow."

When the captain had left the brig, Banagher leaned back against the wall, recalling what happened after handing over Lacus and fending of Rau le Creuset, as Mu had told him the man's name.

Banagher wasn't really surprised to encounter a déjà vu as he once again found a group of soldiers aiming their rifles against his cockpit. And again, Murrue was standing there, but this time not Mu, but another young woman with black hair and an officer's uniform, just like Murrue's. However, Banagher could tell that she was stiffer than Murrue. Like she would follow orders to the letter without question, and would only accept something that went by the regulations she learned.

"This is Natarle Badgiruel", Murrue introduced her crewmember when Banagher had exited the Unicorn. Natarle seemed as surprised as the others earlier when he took of his helmet. Instead of waiting for her to start voicing her obvious complains, Murrue quickly continued to short conversation.

"I'd like you to follow me", she said to Banagher before addressing Natarle. "You return to the bridge. I'd like to hurry up to reach the 8th Fleet."

And before Natarle could even inhale air to answer, Murrue quickly left, Banagher following directly behind her. And so he ended up in the brig before he could even make excuses.

Thinking back on the handover of Lacus Clyne, Banagher was glad that everything worked out more or less. It didn't sit right with him to hold a child hostage, no matter who they were. So he had no complains. But he was sure that he was only one of the few who are actually glad that she is back home. The rest, mainly the Alliance probably, wouldn't think so though. So Banagher once again locked the Unicorn up, to keep curious hands away from it, even if they couldn't move it without his biometric data.

However, he didn't think more about his situation, as tiredness took over his consciousness and he started to drift into slumber, even on the uncomfortable bench he was sitting on.

* * *

When he learned about the doings of the Strike and the Unicorn, George Allster was anything but pleased. With the capture of Lacus Clyne, the Alliance would have gained a great advantage in the war and many things would turn out differently. However, the most enraging thing was that his trust in the pilot of the Unicorn was misplaced. He had hoped to make good use of the pilot and the machine, but it was obvious that winning the pilot for his side would not give him many advantages.

"Then at least give us as much information about the mobile suit as you can. There is only so much we can actually get from the Alliance."

"I will try as much as I can, but the captain is a stubborn one", replied George to the other recipient of the call. "She is also one of those troublesome types."

"I understand. We will take care of things from our side, you just have to focus on obtaining the data. For our pure, blue world."

"For our pure, blue world."

The call ended, but the minister still wasn't satisfied. Murrue was still refusing him to visit the pilot, now that he was placed in the brig. But he was done being nice. He would get what he needed. No matter the cost.

* * *

Kira was taking a stroll through the ship to relax a bit. After his "trial", he needed some rest, but found himself unable to sleep. The parting words of his best friend still rang in his mind and a small part of him couldn't help but feel regret at his decision. Could he really shoot down his best friend?

"Kira?"

Kira turned around at his name being called and blushed slightly as he saw Flay coming towards him.

"Flay, what are you doing here?"

"I was looking for Miri. Did you see her?"

"No, I was until just now… talking with the Captain and the others."

"Oh, I see."

Kira noticed that something was bothering Flay. She seemed somewhat restless, but he didn't have any idea why. The fact that her father was still alive was a relief for many, but Flay wasn't as happy as Kira had thought she would.

"Is everything okay?", Kira asked concerned. "You don't seem well."

"Oh, It's just that we still didn't meet the pilot of the white mobile suit. You know, the one who saved Papa's ship", she replied. "Apparently, Captain Ramius says that he is currently busy, but he should be having breaks, right?"

Kira recalled the events of returning Lacus and how Banagher didn't stop them. Yet he was shocked when he saw Banagher exiting the Unicorn as Lacus had named it. The teen would have never imagined that the young mechanic was actually the pilot. And all that Kira did was complain to him.

"Kira?", Flay asked, trying to pull the Coordinator out of his thoughts.

"I'm sure that he also has his problems. He might be working in secret for the Alliance", Kira said. "I'm sure you'll meet him sometime."

"If you say so. Anyways, I'll keep looking for Miri. See you!"

He watched the girl floating away, a slight unease in his chest. He was happy that he could talk with his crush like this, but was he really satisfied with this? Kira shook his head, removing such thoughts for the moment before he thought about the other things he had to deal with.

* * *

The longest time on the journey to the 8th Fleet remained calm and everyone was able to relax from the constant battles they went through. Everyone's mood was good and the remaining work on the ship was finished quickly, allowing most of the crew a good rest as well.

Banagher was released from the brig, but Murrue told him to not sortie in the Unicorn as Natarle would never let her have the end of it until they talked to the Admiral. It was obvious that they were still in danger, but as long as they kept an eye open, they should be able to deal with it.

If anything, the biggest news for everyone was Banagher being the pilot of the white mobile suit. And when said pilot entered the canteen, he was swarmed by the teens from Heliopolis.

"Why didn't you say so before?", Tolle asked, though he didn't seem upset at all.

"A lot was going on at the time", Banagher replied. "My intervention seemed to have caused quite a stir with everyone, so I kept quiet to make things a bit easier."

"Then how did you get your mobile suit?"

"…It was entrusted to me. That's all I'd like to say about it."

"So are you part of the Alliance?"

"No, I'm not a soldier. Actually, I was a student at a Technical School back at my home colony."

"From where are you then?"

Banagher stayed silent at that question. He didn't want to lie to them, but he was aware that telling them the truth would not help at this point. Still, it was a relief to know they didn't hold it against him.

"I can't say. I'm in a… complex situation that forces me to keep quiet on many things. But when I get the chance, I'll tell you."

The teens seemed disappointed, but they could tell that Banagher had his reasons and it wouldn't help anyone if they continued to pressure him.

"Okay, we'll look forward to it", Tolle said with a smile. "Just like Kira, we'll help you out when we can, so don't hold back on us, okay?"

"Yeah."

* * *

Patience was not one of Yzak Joule's strong points. He was a person of action, and waiting around was only aggravating him. Even when they received specific orders not to attack the Legged Ship, he was still dead set on sinking that ship and shooting down the Strike. It was an embarrassment to him to be defeated again and again by the Naturals, and he was going to rectify this situation.

"Even if you say that, we won't have a chance to get to them in time", Nicol said when Yzak had told them about his plan on the bridge. "If it were only the Strike, then it would be doable, but the white Mobile Suit makes it impossible."

"We are more than enough to finish this", Yzak countered.

"But time isn't on our side", Nicol replied, this time unexpectedly more stern. "If we wait for reinforcements, then we can do a save attack on them."

"So you're just going to let them get away!?", Yzak shouted.

Dearka, who watched the whole exchange, interrupted them as he couldn't stand the constant bickering. And he had to admit, Nicol's idea sounded more solid than Yzak's.

"While I'm also not happy about it, Nicol's right. If we wait for reinforcements, we can kick their asses even harder, okay?"

"You too!?"

"And besides, I heard one of the reinforcements is Jared Ramsey."

This caught the attention of everyone, and a moment of silence spread through the bridge. Jared Ramsey. While not famous, there weren't many who didn't knew the name. And what he could do on a battlefield.

* * *

While the reuniting with the 8th Fleet happened without problems, many were still tense from the constant worry of being attacked, even at the last second. So when they reached safe airspace, everyone was so relaxed, everything seemed like a dream.

The captain and the two officers went to meet the Admiral after the Archangel took position next to the Menelaos, and Kira and his friends received discharge papers, so they could leave the ship and go home to their families.

To his surprise, Banagher didn't need to accompany Murrue and the others, so he decided to check on the Unicorn. Ever since they arrived at this apparent save spot, he could shake this growing feeling of unease. Something was going to happen, and Banagher was sure that it was related to the ZAFT-vessel that continued to follow them. So he made sure to deal with the situation, should it come to a battle.

Time passed, and one he was taking a break, leaning of the railing of the walkway.

"So you're Banagher."

Said pilot turned around to see a blond man in his forties in Alliance uniform floating towards him. The man stopped at the railing and stood next to Banagher.

"I'm Admiral Halberton. Captain Ramius had told me about your situation."

When he learned the Admiral's name, Banagher thought back on the promise he made with Murrue. She would tell the Admiral about his situation, with the hope to give Banagher a chance to pursue the hints of the Unicorn.

"I see. Is there something you wanted from me?"

Halberton didn't reply right away, but he turned to look at the Unicorn.

"In all my years have I never seen anything like this suit. Its capabilities are far above the G-series, and I'm sure it is capable of even more than we have seen."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I understand that you are a person wishing for a peaceful life just as much as Kira Yamato, am I wrong?", Halberton asked as he looked back to Banagher.

"At first, there was someone I wanted to be useful for", Banagher answered. "But now, I want to fulfill my promise to her. And if I have to fight, then so be it. But I refuse to kill someone just because I'm told they're the enemy. I'm not a soldier."

"Then are you going to stop this war by yourself if you have to?"

"…"

Banagher kept silent, but Halberton understood what his silence meant.

"You have a difficult path ahead of you, young man. A path too difficult to be walked alone."

Halberton turned away, making his way back to the entrance of the hangar.

"But I look forward to see you succeed on it."

~ "The burden she carries is huge. Even so, do you have the resolve to stand beside her?" ~

Banagher recalled his father's last words about the resolve to move forward. The young pilot knew that his path would not be easy, but was he ready to keep going? To move forward without knowing where his destination was? It would be difficult. But that wouldn't stop Banagher from getting home. No matter what.

"…Admiral Halberton."

"What is it?"

"I have a favor of you to ask."

* * *

"I know many of you are surprised at the amount of reinforcements the council has given us, but it just shows how big of a threat the Legged Ship is if left unattended, alongside the two Mobile Suits on board."

Creuset began the meeting without much talkabout, as he knew that everyone here was aware of the ship and the two Suits. He noticed Ramsey floating slightly of to the side, a small grin plastered on his face. It was no secret that Ramsey was disliked among his fellow soldiers, but no one could deny his skill. And that rubbed Creuset the wrong way. To him, Ramsey was too much of a wild card. While easily predictable, Creuset had no idea how the infamous pilot would react in many situations.

"The council also provided us with a prototype made from the earliest information we could give them about the Alliance's new Mobile Suits. Captain Ramsey here was chosen as the pilot."

Everyone turned to look at said pilot, some narrowing their eyes upon recognizing the name and the face of Ramsey.

"Can we trust him?", asked one of the Green-Coats bravely.

"I trust that he will do his job and take down the white Mobile Suit known as the Unicorn."

"Who came up with that name."

"Miss Clyne called it so, and the pilot didn't seem to deny it. While we can't say if that is true, we will still call it the Unicorn", Creuset explained, unsuprisingly with a sligtly sour tone. And no one could blame him for that.

"As I said, Captain Ramsey will take on the Unicorn while the rest of us concentrates on the 8th Fleet. Our top priority is the destruction of the Legged Ship! Any questions?"

No one said anything, and Creuset turned to Athrun.

"I'd like you and your teammates to take care of the Legged Ship. The others will keep the 8th Fleet busy, understood.

Athrun and his team replied with a salute.

"Enough talk", Ramsey said, making everyone give him disapproving looks. "I've had it with the waiting. I had enough of that on the way here. Now, let us hunt a Unicorn!"


	4. Chapter 4: The Beast of Possibility (2)

So, umm, I'm back! It's been... some time since I posted something. I won't make excuses, I was busy and distracted by several things, and my motivation to write wasn't alwasy very high, so yeah. However, I'd like to thank the people who wrote the PMs to me. Don't worry, I won't let this story die, even if it takes me a decade to finish (hopefully not that long). Updates will be slow, but they will come. Someday.

Anyways, ahev fun with the chapter and tell me what you think.

* * *

Chapter 4: The Beast of Possibility Part 2

Kira still continued to stare at the discharge papers in his hand. He had enough of fighting, that much was clear to him. But was that really the right choice to make? If his friends would leave, then he would have no reason to stay as well and they could return to a peaceful life without worrying about fighting.

"And yet, why does it feel wrong?", Kira asked himself as he waited for his friends. They planned to first meet in the living quarters before going to the hangar where a shuttle would be waiting to take them to Earth. And while he was waiting, Kira couldn't help but let his thoughts drift. "I wonder what Banagher will do..."

"Kira!"

Said Coordinator turned around at hearing his friend Tolle's voice calling out to him, only to stare in surprise. His friends were wearing their Alliance uniforms and came floating towards him.

"Everyone, what's with the uniforms?"

"Well, we kind of decided to stay on the Archangel", Mirri said with a bit of embarrassment.

"Why?"

"Flay decided to enroll", Sai said, still unnerved about his fiancé going to war. "We can't leave her on her own, you see?"

"And her father was fine with that?", Kira asked, remembering the fuss George Allster made about his daughter.

"He said he could trust the Archangel to get through anything, especially with the Unicorn on board", Tolle recalled.

Kira was slightly hurt, but he knew that Banagher was more skilled than him. And with him returning Lacus Clyne he was sure they had made more than a few enemies. Was it really the right- no! It was the right thing, even if others may say differently.

"Don't take it too hard, Kira", Mirri said, aware of how the teen might feel. "Flay's father is just like that. And we know that you gave your best to protect us, no matter what."

"Thanks, Mirri."

"You don't have to pressure yourself so much. So, go and live in peace. We'll be coming soon after, once we dealt with Flay. I'm sure we can convince her to stop this, but right now we can't convince her. Don't worry about it", Sai explained.

Kira didn't say anything, but the awkward atmosphere was very clear to everyone. Deciding to leave it at that. They knew about his discomfort with battle and were sure that Kira would be better off if he was far away from the war.

And even after his friends left, he took his time before making his way towards the shuttle.

When he arrived, he saw the long line of people waiting to be let on board. All of them went through a lot, and they seemed relieved that they could leave for home. Just as he looked over the people he saw George Allster entering the shuttle.

"Ah, Onii-chan!"

Kira turned around to see a small girl coming up to him. He remembered seeing her sometimes with the other civilians.

"Thank you for always protecting us!", she said as she handed him a paper flower. Unable to utter a reply he silently watched as the girl left with her mother.

Did he really protect them? He had still doubts, and that was his reason for wanting to return home. But as he looked at the flower he noticed something. These people were safe after he fought. Even if he didn't cover them directly, he had still fought to protect them and his friends.

* * *

"And, did you come up with an idea?", Mu asked, him and Murrue in her office while preparing for the descend.

"About what?"

"Banagher."

Murrue sighed. She knew that things would become complicated once they reached Alaska and the higher-ups would like to know the truth about the young man and his white mobile suit that could fight back against Rau le Creuset.

"How do you think we should explain him? A young boy with a powerful Mobile Suit from another universe appeared out of nothing and offered his aid? I don't think that would sound very good to them."

"I agree", Mu replied with a sigh. "But what else can we tell them?"

"In the end, we'll have to trust in Banagher for that. We can't really do much more than telling the truth", Murrue said.

"But will he agree?"

"He is aware of his situation, I'm sure. Believing in him is all we can do right now."

* * *

The first wave of attacks came suddenly upon the 8th Fleet. They had noticed that some ZAFT ships were waiting outside of their firing range, but they didn't expect an attack this soon.

To their dismay the first attack was a sneak attack by the Blitz, which resulted the Earth Alliance's focus to shift on the single unit while the rest of ZAFT's mobile suits closed in. And while the suits kept the fleet busy, the ZAFT ships closed in to create additional pressure. Three ships of the 8th Fleet were down already, and everyone would break into a panic if not for the quick orders by Admiral Hamilton.

The Archangel began with the descend to Earth while the fleet would cover them. Considering the military strength of ZAFT with the GAT-series on their side the result of such a plan was obvious. Nonetheless the Archangel moved on, releasing the civilian shuttle shortly beforehand.

The greatest problem however was an unidentified ZAFT mobile suit which sped through the battlefield, randomly destroying mobile armors of the Alliance or damage the ships. It was like it was searching for something, tearing down everything in its way. And nothing could stop its rampage.

* * *

Banagher was shocked at the destruction. He had seen war, had fought in battle, but he would always dislike this scenery of death. While he kept thinking about how he could put a stop to this, he had already changed into his pilot suit and moved towards the hangar. Even if the Archangel was ordered to just leave, he wouldn't watch such one-sided slaughter if he could help it.

Banagher jumped into the cockpit and into the seat, the hatch closing with a hiss before the monitors turned on.

"I'm moving out! Open the hangar!", he warned as the crew fled out of the hangar. The Unicorn left the holding bay and moved slowly to one of the Linear Catapults.

He stepped inside, however didn't lock onto the guiding path as he stood there ready to take off.

"Banagher, wait a moment!"

The addressed pilot looked to one of the opening screens, showing Miriallia's face. She looked over her console, and at the same time, a hatch to the right side of the Unicorn opened.

"This is from the maintenance crew", Miriallia said as a Beam Rifle moved out of the hatch. "The captain approved of it as a 'thank-you' gift."

"So, the captain is okay with me taking off? And when had they time to build this?", Banagher asked before he had the Unicorn grab the rifle.

"It's one of the Strike's replacement rifles, but modified to fit the Unicorn", she explained. "Lieutenant La Flaga is also getting ready. Good luck out there!"

"Got it. Banagher Links, Unicorn Gundam, taking off!"

* * *

"I'm going as well!"

Everyone was surprised when Kira's face suddenly appeared on the screen connected to the Strike. He was already wearing his suit and prepared the Strike to launch. No one had expected to see him there after he was so adamant about not fighting.

"Kira, what are you doing there?", Milli asked, being the first to recover from the surprise. "We thought you left on the shuttle!"

"I won't let my friends fight on their own while I sit back and watch!"

"Okay. Launch approved!", Murrue shouted from her seat. She didn't want to let them off the ship while descending, but considering the fast advance of ZAFT forces, she was rather safe than sorry. And it seemed that even Natarle was aware of that as she didn't say anything about it.

"Thank you! Kira Yamato, Strike, launching!"

And so, he took off after Banagher.

"I'll go as well", said la Flaga. "Can't let the kids do all the work."

"Alright, but be careful! All hands, prepare the re-entry sequence! Keep an eye on the time before we have to recall everyone!", Murrue shouted the orders as everyone began the necessary preparations.

* * *

Banagher quickly went ahead to take down two GINN's with the new Beam Rifle he got as they attacked another ship. He easily placed good-aimed shots at their limbs and heads, effectively disarming them.

"It isn't nearly as powerful as the Beam Magnum, but this works well for me, I guess", Banagher said to himself as he continued to disarm three more suits.

It took him some time to find and properly aim at the suits as they were scattered about and some of the mobile armors got in his line of fire, but he still tried to keep losses on both sides to a minimum. He had killed enough people, and dying in battle served no purpose in his eyes but to create more grief and hate towards others.

However, as he continued to fire, a tingling feeling in the back of his head warned him of something and Banagher quickly turned the Unicorn to the side, barely avoiding the attack of another suit. It looked nothing like the other ZAFT suits whose data he had received from Murrue. It actually resembled the Strike in some ways, but still different.

The suit still hat the head with a mono-eye camera glowing red, however the design of limbs and torso resembled the Duel mostly. The whole suit was colored dark grey, the same as the Strike without the Phase-Shift Armor activated. In its right hand was a Beam Saber glowing in a pink light and in the left hand it held something like a Beam Rifle, however it seemed to have more cables around it, like it wasn't really a finished design. And on it's back were large Boosters, giving the suit a speed that could actually keep up with the Unicorn.

Banagher continued to dodge the enemy suit's attacks, but it proved harder than he expected.

"A new prototype?", Banagher asked, but to his surprise came a reply over an open channel. The face he couldn't see, but the voice, apparently from the pilot, was loud and clear.

"That's right! This little baby was permitted for use just to take you down! Now, let us have some fun while I tear you apart!"

The prototype attacked again, swinging its Beam Saber wildly, and yet precise. However, Banagher avoided each of the slashes and tried to aim for the limbs with his Rifle. He never got to shoot as another swing came at him, forcing him to move away again.

"Stop this! Can't you see that there is no point in this fight?", Banagher tried to reason.

"So, you're the pacifist type, eh? I don't care, I'm just here for a good fight!", came the ecstatic reply. "You're just my prey, so stop whining while I get my fun!"

* * *

Athrun had heard the rumors about Jared Ramsey. A maniac, a freak, and many other downright appalling names were used to describe his character. When he had met him on the ship, he seemed more or less normal, though he could tell that Ramsey was out for blood. However, he didn't expect such excitement in the man's voice when he spoke over an open channel to the Unicorn. It actually scared him in a way.

The other surprise though was how young the other pilot sounded. Lacus didn't tell them much about the pilot, probably out of respect, but Athrun didn't expect the person to be so young, probably the same age as him and Kira.

"Move, Athrun!"

On Yzak's warning Athrun dodged another one of Kira's amazingly accurate shots. He was surprised at his friends rather fast improvement, making Kira capable enough to hold his own, even against him and Yzak at the same time.

Athrun transformed his suit into the Mobile Armor-mode, shooting at Kira with his Energy Cannon. At the same time, Yzak closed in on the Strike, who dodged Athrun's attack and pulled out his Beam Saber to guard against the Duel. Athrun made a second run and shot again, forcing Kira's and Yzak's suits apart.

"What are you doing, Athrun?!", Yzak shouted over the intercom.

"Don't get too close! I'll force him into position so you can finish it!"

Athrun regretted that he had to use this excuse, but Yzak wouldn't listen to him otherwise. So, all he could do was follow through with his 'plan' and hope that Kira would make it out somehow so they could capture him. However, they got dangerously close to the pull of the Earth, so he had to be careful. He could tell they were close as some other suits not far away started glowing from the air friction.

He made another run at Kira, aiming not directly at him and shot. Kira dodged again, as predicted, right into the Duel's line of fire. Unfortunately, at just this moment a shuttle passed through between the two, throwing off Yzak's aim and missing both the Strike and the shuttle.

"Damn cowards, trying to run away!", Yzak shouted, aiming at the shuttle again.

* * *

Kira's mind became a blank when the Duel prepared to shoot at the shuttle. He saw moments of his involuntary journey in a flash, the battles he fought, his friends and the people he met.

" _Thank you for protecting us!"_ , said the little girl with the paper flower.

'Are they going to die? In a place like this?'

He remembered what Banagher told him before. Could he make a difference? Could he save them?

"Even if others tell you that it is some sort of delusion or wishful thinking, you have to keep going. It may sound contradicting, and maybe it is. But even so, you mustn't give up."

"I won't give them up!", Kira shouted as his body started to move on his own.

* * *

The Unicorn kept dodging and blocking the prototype's attacks, but Banagher unable to land a decisive blow. While the Unicorn was the better machine, the enemy pilot was almost too good. He was able to actually make up for the lower specs of the machine and kept pushing Banagher back.

"Damn, at this rate-!"

However, another GINN came from behind, throwing the Unicorn off balance and giving Ramsey an opening. Banagher managed to move his shield in time, but he was pushed back into the remains of one of the destroyed ships.

If this continued, the 8th Fleet would be wiped out, and Banagher had to rely on the Admiral to survive. He needed to end this battle as fast as possible. And that was when he noticed one of the ZAFT ships floating towards the Menelaos

However, Ramsey was already charging at him.

"I got you now!"

The next thing Ramsey saw was a green light. The armor of the Unicorn started to glow in said green light before starting to separate, revealing a brightly glowing armor all over the suit. The legs and backpack revealed additional boosters, and two beam sabers on the backpack folded towards the shoulders. On the shoulders appeared two sensor units and the shield spread out as well, revealing additional parts glowing green as well. The white horn on the head split in two, revealing a golden v-shaped antenna and the face guard slipped down, revealing a face similar to that of the G-series. The pilot seat leaned back while the controls disappeared, leaving Banagher to rest his hands on the seat. The screens folded away as well and a holographic screen appeared around the head area of the seat.

And before Ramsey could hit the Unicorn, the suit disappeared with a trail of green light.

"What the-!?"

He tried to follow, but the Unicorn left him behind quickly while speeding towards the ship of Admiral Halberton.

"I can't let him die here", Banagher said to no one and stopped between the Menelaos and the approaching Gamow. He wanted to call out to stop them, but Banagher could tell. They wouldn't stop, even with their ship close to exploding. They were ready to die for their cause, no matter their cost. And he couldn't wait for long, as Ramsey was approaching in his prototype MS.

Again, Banagher felt helpless, because he couldn't stop lives from being lost. Therefore, he decided to save as many as he could right now, even if he had to do what he hated most. Taking another life.

"DAMN IT!"

And with his shout he unfolded one of the beam tonfas and activated it. He pulled back and charged at the ship, increasing the energy output of the energy beam. The saber increased in size immensely cut right through the ship. Immediately he turned in a loop and rammed against the exploding ship, pushing the remains off course before they could hit the Menelaos.

However, he had no time to rest as Ramsey, followed by several GINNs. He quickly dodged the incoming attacks, a combination of beam shots and swords of those that somehow managed to get somewhat close to the Unicorn.

Banagher noticed that the Archangel was about to enter the atmosphere, so he didn't have much time. He quickly took down two more GINN before exchanging a few blows with the prototype. The Menelaos retreated and Banagher continued take out a few other GINN's while keeping Ramsey busy.

"Dammit, why won't you go down! Even I'm getting pissed now!", Ramsey shouted obviously aware that Banagher wasn't fighting with all he got.

However, Banagher had no time to relax as he had to keep an eye on the Menelaos and the Archangel while fighting.

And when he noticed, that the ZAFT ships wouldn't follow the Admiral, Kira made a break for the Archangel.

* * *

Before anyone knew what had happened, the Strike suddenly charged at the Duel and pushed him back. With a quick attack, he cut off the Duel's right arm.

Athrun was to slow to react, and before he could help Yzak, a nearby wreckage exploded, pushing the Aegis further away. The Duel however tumbled further into the atmosphere, along with the Strike.

"Athrun!", came Nicole's voice over the comm.

"Nicole, what wrong?"

"Dearka is caught in the Gravity Well!", he said.

"Damn, Yzak as well. Nicole, were pulling back, else well fall as well!"

"What about Dearka and Yzak?"

"We'll have to trust in them", Athrun replied, dissatisfied with his own answer. It was no consolation, but there was nothing they could do.

* * *

Banagher had almost reached the Archangel. The Zero was firmly anchored to the ship, however they were turning towards the Strike who seemed unresponsive.

"They'll be off course", Banagher noted, and he tried to move closer to their course.

However, he was caught by surprise when suddenly a missile made its way to him. He quickly turned around and dispatched it with his Vulcans, but the blast threw him even further off course. And Banagher was sure he saw the ZAFT prototype aiming a missile launcher at him before he fell into the atmosphere.

* * *

Another chapter done. It feels a bit weird, considering I wrote this from time to time. I think I jump too much between perspectives. Tell me what you think and if I should focus more on some side characters. Thanks and till next time (which may take a while).


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